1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a combination meter having a plurality of dials for indicating measured values with a plurality of pointers. The combination meter is mounted to a vehicle such as a motor vehicle, a vessel, or the like.
2. Description of Related Art
A vehicle such as a motor vehicle or a vessel is mounted with a combination meter displaying a plurality of informations measured with a variety of measuring units to a driver.
FIG. 6 shows a conventional combination meter of a motor vehicle (see JP-2001-059751,A). The combination meter 100 includes a speedometer 101 to indicate a speed of the motor vehicle, a tachometer 102 to indicate an engine speed, a fuel gauge 103 to indicate a remaining amount of a fuel, and a temperature gauge 104 to indicate a temperature of a coolant of the engine.
The respective meters 101-104 include dials 101a-104a disposed on a dial plate 105, pointers 101b-104b to point the dials 101a-104a, and movements to rotate the pointers 101b-104b in response to the measured values, respectively. The movements include drive axles, which penetrate the dial plate 105 and are attached to the pointers 101b-104b, and driver units disposed behind the dial plate 105.
In the conventional combination meter 100, the dial 101a of the speedometer 101 is circularly disposed about an end portion 101c of the drive axle of the pointer 101b. The speedometer 101 has an inaccessible portion, or dead space N on a circumference of the dial 101a, where the pointer 101b is inaccessible.
The tachometer 102 can be disposed on the inaccessible portion N of the speedometer 101 so as to effectively use the dead space and provide a novel design. The close arrangement of the two kinds of the meters 101, 102 does not provide a good appearance, resulting to a low visibility to the driver.
The dial 102a of the tachometer 102 can be disposed on the inaccessible portion of the speedometer 101. The pointers 101b and 102b are attached with deadweights to adjust positions of the gravity thereof. Since the attachment of the respective deadweights needs a certain amount of space, it is difficult to closely dispose the respective drive axles of the end portion 101c and end portion 102c. The drive axles of the meters 101 and 102 can not be thus disposed on the center or close to the center of the dials 101a and 102a. The separate arrangement of one drive axle from the center of the dials 101a and 102a provides an uncomfortable appearance.